Automobile skid chain



y 5 s. lANDlORIO 2,514,243

AUTOMOBILE-6ND CHAIN Filed March 4, 1949 Patented July 4, 1950 UNITED STATES 0 E FILCET.

Marchese and thirty-three. and, one-third percent tov MiltonGuttman, both of. Brooklyn, N. Y.-.

ApplicationMarch 4, 1949, -Serial-No; 79;577

15 Claims, (Cl. 152F222.

Thisir invention1-- relates to: automobiler skid" chains;

The. problems involved. in. employing-x skid chains for '1 automobile tires-a are=varied.'- 01165015 these problems isthat of facilitating: the connection of :rth'e skid chain. to ;the,: tire was required:

In general; the. operatorcof an automobile finds mechanical= tasks :or'; this :nature quiedifiicult.

A second problem is the fact that skid chains are" subj ectedflto' :severe strains. and wear and often break pursuant theretoi: If a skid -chain: is broken during :use,: it? generally :"becomescompletely: inoperative andtheialoose ends 'may'further. occasion': damage 'toi zotherv parts 1 of I the automobile body;

The present inventionrattacks the J above -pr0b-.

lemsby providing a'skid'chain-whichcan .be ap.- plied *with-a minimumlof complexity. Aportion: of the skid chain may remain in place-adjacent.

the tire at' alltimes fwhil thevefiective eor: ground gripping section can be .veryisimplyx'connectede toth'e permanently-attached:porti-on: The skid; chain further includes aris'eriesriof.:rollrsrsorathex:

like; whichfare strung zorrotherwise's mountedi'on a strong-f'wirex: or cable; Ifrione of these: rollers v shouldfwear out, the 'skidrchainnevertheless'ere mains. substantially the rsamez -z form rwithout coming: apart". In fact," means are provided to .1 maintain the rollers:in-rproperhpositidn even :if

one or. moreiof them: sh'ouldibreakaor :become :lost:

Such "means rtakes;theaformmofs .aafsprin'g awhich compacts; theroilers' togethensothat if one or'two are lost;.the-.remaining :roll'ersstil11smaintainthe proper "front for :grippingx of tthesground :asurfacer The invention will be furthermunderstood"from;

the; iollowingidescripti'on andi drawingssin whichzi: Fig.=: '1 isypaifrontaelevationahyiew.Iof; aeti're provided :with: three independent'iskidiichainsmcon A structed. according. to therzinstantinvention;

Fig; 2 lis an enlarged:sectionalmiewztakerr'sub:

stantially: along;theiiinesz;2%-2 iofl'Figa; 1.-:

FigxS arfragmentary view Ofi'lthe 'BHdiDfAth'fi permanent connector asax it; embracese. the skid chainr- Fig: 4 isz'a section: substantial1y;along-.ithe'zlims 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fighfi :is a fragmentary lviewiillustratinga modified-embodiment;

In? the'zformi'shown; thesskidcchairi .of 'i-thebinaw stant invention; comprises: independent runits plurality of which-,may;be appliedzaround the; tire?v asyzillllstratedain :Fizfili .i Itzconsists. Off

oicjcylindrical rollersgel flrsupportedzaround. wire? cable-1| l2: Generall tuallyxrequired iwill:

more i-roliersxi l lkthan eases abez'strung eonethe cable :I l 56? plugs'rl 5'against.the:action orathe-springs' andtiina:

because ;the aadditionalwol-lerswill. :become dis-.- posed-at thesides: of the tires -as illustrated Fig; :2 but. will be urged toward the center'should a 'roller break; asp-will be hereinafter -descriloed-.,

Wire cable I lr-maybefabricated of.- steel stranded cable of -approximately:%qinch diameter so asto --.be= extremely sturdy and of 7 great strength Accordingly, the device is substantially assured.

againstbreakingfiin such away: as to cause the skid chain to hang from: its" mountings and being violently tossed gduring rotation of-the wheels. On thewother hand; rollers I 0--' are preferably but not necessarily; of a softermetal; such as aluminum. Thepurposerthereofnis to assure that the:

rollers will wear out beforeithe cable does: As

the irollers' ;wear out; as'will be--;hereinafter described-they are automatically replaced'so thatthe device tends to remainHin-operativeconditio-nl".

The :rollers I 0 are urgedtowardseach other by aapairzof' coir springs 2| 2 .and 3 which may seat in: recess;- l 4" formed atl the ends :ofttherollers:-

The'. other-- end -of-= the springs may be' 'connected to at plug l5 :which serves as a terminal for the springs One end ofrtheskid'chain has a-=ro1ler lfl iconnectedvto :pl-ug=;I5- -and: theicable H is soldered 'or otherwise-secured atll to theouterend of r0ller-:-l6;* This --serves mere1y ;as an. enlargementw-to l prevent: accidentaludisassembly of the skid chain after it -hasi='been-applied. The other: end of the skid chain "is provided with a.

roller M3,; the bottom :recess" of which fits over the plug;- l 5. Cable]lrides::freelyawithin the openingelfiof rol1er--i8,-but-a setscrew 20 is empl'oyedto secure the cable. to the-roller so as to:

adjust the-'desired'r'sizeof-= the skid chain.

- A strap ;-,-2 5 -is providedafor permanent-connection 'to the-wheel. Such straps mayz be of metal oravery strongawovenfabric-belting; .It is termi-.

nated- :indoops- 2 6 an'd -J l-- to which are connected angulambracketsd8::and'29-5? Brackets'28 and- 29 may aloe-substantiallyidentical xin :form. Referring. to., Fig.= 3,; they; are provided Jwith a slotopening.-

30 and an-enlarged-oentral opening 3 I.

The skid chain as hereinabove described-,-

utilized as .follows:

Strap 2 5 -wi1l= be: applied when the tire '3 5 and itstube-136are-initially mounted on rim-'3'l;- The loops :26 andi 27 as-swell'; as the brackets 28-and 29 -=wi1l-v remain-in; the position illustratedmin Fig. 2. The skid chainper'se may be keptfin the luggage compartment of: the car. 2 during -i ordinary drivingiand will berrconnected- 'to'l the tireflasn'rela quiredi Thisewill be donelibyiipulling back the serting the cable I I through slot openings 30 and into central opening 3 l. The plug I5 is then released and substantially fills the rest of the opening 3| so that it cannot escape from the slot 30. When the skid chain is to be removed, the plugs l5 are pulled downwardly and the cables I I are withdrawn from the slots 30 of brackets 28 and 29 respectively. Accordingly, it will be recognized that the application or removal of the skid chain is a very simple task requiring only insertion of the cable in the slots 30 and snapping of the plugs l5 into the openings 31.

As the car travels, the skid chains will perform their usual function of providing the necessary traction, the rolling action of the cylindrical rollers assisting in this function. The rollers will take up any wear on the skidchain. Such wear will occur not only at their outer road engaging surfaces but at those points where the rollers contact each other. Accordingly, the rollers will in time wear down completely and will fall off the cable H. The springs l2 and I3 will compact the remainder of the rollers so that no space occurs in that area where the roller came oil. It will be seen, therefore, that the rollers will always be urged toward the center of the skid chain so that they will be properly disposed in relation to the tire surface.

If too many rollers are lost, they may be simply replaced by loosening wing nut 20, removing roller l8, removing plug l5 and spring l2 and applying substitute rollers which can be purchased for this purpose. The spring I2 is then returned into place as is the roller l8, and the screw or nut tightened. Spring 12 will be maintained compressed during tightening of the screw 20 so that the rollers are properly compacted or urged together.

The fabrication of rollers ID of aluminum or the like serves another purpose in that aluminum appears to maintain a rough exterior relative to steel or the like. In other words, it does not become as polished as would steel particularly after long frictional engagement with paved or dirt roads during the use thereof. It has been found that the aluminum becomes pitted or rough in its surface after such use, such surface formation being of advantage in providing traction.

A modified embodiment of the foregoing is illustrated in Fig. 5. In this figure, metal ears and 4| are integrally secured to the rim 42. Such ears remain, then, as a permanent fixture on the rim. The skid chain takes the general form as the one above described, but cylindrical plugs [5 are supplanted by tapered or conical plugs 43 and 44. Roller 45 serves the same function as does roller I8, butit's recesses 46 may be enlarged so as to admit the smaller end of plug 43. Roller 41 serves the same function as plug 16 but its recess is also enlarged to admit the smaller end of plug 44. Conical plugs '43 and 44 are pulled downwardly in applying the skid chain in the same manner as plugs l5 and they will also -fill the openings 3| so as to prevent accidental disassembly of the skid chain during use.

The cable may be lubricated so as to facilitate proper action of the rollers as well as to assist in rendering it rust-proof, if necessary. Springs 2 and I3 may be approximately of the same diameter as plugs 15, as described, so that the spring itself is larger than the slot opening 30 so as to be locked in opening 3| if the plug are not used. It will be noted that the skid chain of the instant invention is adaptable to all sizes of tires, a smallertir requiring less rollers. When strap i 25 is fabricated of flexible belting or the like, the locking brackets will have such flexibility of movement as not to become distorted or bent if they strike a curb or the like.

What is claimed is:

l. A skid chain comprising an elongated flexible wire, means to connect the ends of the wire around the exposed surfaces of an automobile tire, a plurality of metal rollers strung on said wire, and spring means for urging said rollers centrally of said wire.

2. A skid chain comprising an elongated flexible wire, means to connect the ends of the wire around the exposed surfaces of an automobile tire, a plurality of metal rollers strung on said wire, and a spring supported on each end of said wire and bearing against the aligned rollers for urging them together toward the central portion of the wire.

3. A skid chain comprising an elongated, fiexible metal cable, means to connect the wire around the road contacting surface of an automobile the.

a plurality of cylindrical rollers strung on said wire in alignment, helical springs supported at" each end of said cable and bearing against the rollers for urging them together toward the cen-' tral portion of the cable, said rollers being-of a' 5. A skid chain comprising an elongated fiexiv ble wire, means to connect the ends of the wire 35 around the exposed surfaces of an automobil tire, a plurality of metal rollers strung on said wire, and spring means for urging said roller centrally of said wire, said rollers being in the form of cylindrical tubes. i

6. A skid chain according to claim 5 and including stop members fastened to said wire at each end thereof and maintaining the spring means under compression.

7. A skid chain according to claim 6 and wherein said means to connect the ends of the wire around the exposed surfaces of an automobile tire comprises a strap for insertion between the tire and rim of a wheel, and-locking brackets on the ends of said strap for engaging the wire between the spring means and stop members.

8. A skid chain according to claim 7 and wherein said locking brackets have an opening formed therethrough and have an end slot communicating therewith, said spring means comprising a helical spring disposed at each end of and around the wire, said locking bracket openings being of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the helical spring so as to admit said spring therethrough, said slot being narrower than said diameter so as to maintain said spring and wire locked in said opening, said wire being of lesser diameter than said slot so as to be releasable through said'slot when'said spring is withdrawn downwardly along said wire against withdrawn the normal action thereof so as to'be from within said opening.

- 9. A skid chain according'to claim 8 and including a pair of lugs connected at each out ward end of the springs, said stop members being 10. A skid chain comprising an elongated, flexible cable, a strap for connecting'the ends of the cable around the exposed surfaces of an automobile tire, a seriesof' cylindrical .metaltarollers.

maintained side by side on said cable, and springs on each side of the series of rollers for maintaining the rollers substantially centrally of said cable, said springs being helical and disposed around said cable, each of said rollers having recesses formed at the ends thereof.

11. A skid chain comprising a flexible strap for insertion between the tire and rim of a wheel, locking brackets at each end of said strap, and a traction member connectable to said locking brackets so as to be disposed around the road engaging surfaces of the tire, said traction member comprising a metal cable, a series of cylindrical rollers disposed around said cable, and spring means operating against at least one of said locking brackets and maintaining said rollers substantially centrally of said cable.

12. A skid chain according to claim 11 and including a cylindrical, tubular stop member releasably connected to said cable and forming a terminal for said spring, said spring being on one side of said locking bracket and said stop member being on the other side thereof, a lug connected to one side of said spring, said locking bracket having an opening formed therethrough, said stop member having a recess formed therein, said lug being urged by said spring through said opening into the recess of said stop member.

13. A skid chain for use with a tire and metal rim combination comprising an elongated, flexible cable for disposition around the exposed surfaces of the tire, a plurality of metal rollers strung on said cable, means urging said rollers centrally of said cable, and means to maintain said cable around said tire, said last named means comprising a pair of projections extending from the rim of said tire and rim combina-'- tion.

14. A skid chain for use with a tire and metal rim combination comprising a pair of locking brackets adapted to be connected adjacent each side of the rim so as to extend therefrom, said brackets being formed with a central opening and a slot communicating therewith, a traction member connectable to said locking brackets by being inserted in said slots so as to be receivable in said openings, said slots being of lesser width than said openings, and spring actuated locking means maintained on said traction member and receivable in said openings.

15. A skid chain comprising an elongated flexible wire, means to connect the ends of the wire around the exposed surfaces of an automobile tire, and a plurality of cylindrical metal rollers loosely strung on said wire, both ends of each roller being convex and of the same shape as the ends of all the other rollers.

SAM IANDIORIO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,267,544 Haubner May 28, 1918 1,297,155 Harrington Mar. 11, 1919 

